Guard-rail structure.



R; s. BJOHANNAN.

GUARD RML STRUCTURE; APPLICATIQM FILED M615, 1911.

Patented June 4:, 1918.

RORER'rs. RoHAnnAn, or ENSLEY, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR T0 NATIONAL, s'rREL a PRODUCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION.

euARn RAIL STRUCTURE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I; ROBERT S. 'BOH N- NAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Ensley, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and tusefullmprova ments in Guard-Rail Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to guard rails for railway tracks, and its objects are to provide in a light, strong and compact body a'combination guard rail, foot guard and guard rail clamp, in which all wear from the Wheel flanges is received by a thin replaceable wear strip inset into the guard rail'and inclined away from the rail.

My improved guard rail clamp or fas tening' means contemplates the adjustment of the guard rail to 'the'traffic' rail by means Of akey to allOW for Various flange way dis tances andI provide this key with lugs Whichpengage the top and bottom of the rail base to hold the key'in position when spiked to the tie. To provide the maximum wedge shape and is notched to receive the fastening spike. To produce a guard rail that is exceedingly light but amply stronglforjthe' service required of it,]the guard rail proper terfacility of adjustment, Ithekey is given a minates at the level of the web forming the foot guard, being supported below by arches which span from crossftie to cross tie and have for their basesrail base plateswhich extend under the traffic rail. The c'enter plate has lugs which overhang the key and a slot v disposed to permit thekey spike to be driven in at any point where the key comes tofrest.

My invention also comprises the novel 'de tails of construction of the] guard rail which are moreparticu-larly pointed-out in the lap-j pended c1aims,reference being had to the accompanying drawings to illustrate the preferred embodiment only of the same.

In the drawings 1+ 1 Figure 1 shows my improved guard rail in plan view. j

Fig.2 shows the rail in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33' of Fig.1. A e

Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line H of Fig. 1. I a y I Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the key seat on the rail plate extension of guard rail.

Specification of Letters Patent.

3, its inclination of the wheel flange 9. An inte'rchaiigeabled Wear plate 10 of hard metal has itsend. to be inserted} downwardly in a dove-tail seat 11 formed inthe inner face of the guard railproper key.

r Patented June at, 191%.; Applicationlfiled August 25,1917. Seriaitio.188,153.

Similar reference numerals refer to simi:

lar partsthroughout the drawings. The guard rail 1 is curved in plan view andis co supported at its centerby a narrow: integral web 2 which joins and is braced to a rail base plate 3 by theweb 4. The ends 5 of join to integral base-plates 6. rail is thus in efiect supported position by integral arches which spanthe crossties. a horizontal web 7 which at its ends is widened and curved downwardly to join the base plates 6, thus forming a foot guard.

- Integral With the guard rail is.

the guard rail incline downwardly and The guard in elevated The guard rail proper terminates withthe base of the Web 7 above which it is inclined. from therail 8, see Fig.

to the shape outwardly away conforming edges beveled and is adapted and extending practicallyfro'm endfto end thereof or at least, throughout the .interme diate portion of the flange way where the wear comeson the guard rail. Thisreplace able wear plate is held in placeby rivets 12 having their proper.

heads countersunk on its wearing face and their,bodies extending through the riveted; to Ithe... guard. .rail

by thearch supportsfor the g ard. rail on centers corresponding to the spacing of the the guard rail on the Side away from "the traflic rail 8. The base plates 6 extend un'-. der the base ofthe'traffic rail and are protends under the base of each plate-prOJecting on one sidebf the guard rail sufficiently. to permit spikes to be readily driven through the notches 14 provided therefor to hold down along its edge beyond such rail it is prof vided with a raised shoulder l6set at an angle to the traflicrail and provided at each endwith lugs 17 and Y18 underwhich the wedgekey 19 is adapted to bedriven.

This key, as shownin F igQG, is provided A near its; center with. a, lug 20 adapted to overhang the base of the trafiic rail and near notch 22 and as the key is driven inbetween the shoulder 16 and the trafiie rail this spike notch 22 travels along over. a slot- 233 formed on the base plate 3 so that at any point where the key rcomeswte restf a spiket-24g be driven through notch 22 and slot 23 into the tie to fasten the key in position? The wedge key is driven in under thelugs 175111118 orthebasep1ate-3 t'o thedistance necessary to get the proper adjustment be tween'the guardrail and the traffic rail and I thev spike EM-will hold the key fixed in this position? The width of the foot guard webt is preferably-such as to 'stop short-eta. verti cal'plane' through the adjacent edge of the traflic rail tread", thus providingample elearaneefor'dii tand trash to pass out between the'web and the rail. Th'ends' of the guard rail proper are"curved' outwardly to catch andguide the wheel flangefthroughtheflange way and are curved downwardly to avoid' catching on any moving part of the train. By stopping the guard rail proper at the underjlevel "of the foot guard web 7 and-- supporting it-by arches resting onth'e' base plates 3 and 6,1 eliminate all superfluous metal without: sacrificing the necessary strengthfl The base plates, as shown in Fig. 3, maybe provided with downturned spuds 25fwhichare driven into the tiev and more firml secure the guardrail in position;

It is only necessary to cause the web 3 or center "of the base 'of'the guard rail to abut agains't ftheibasegof the traflic rail, as by :curving;t'he guard rail supports away from the"- tra'fiicfr ail, the ends are supported in such spaced position"from -"thetraflic rail as to greatly strengthenj'and brace thecenter of" a foot guard web, a guardrail rising above the guard" rail against Y lateral thrust strains.

Having thus described my invention, what '1. "A guard railioppositethe'traflic railhead;

2'' A guardrail having integral base plates' surface of the guard rail most exposed to wear' from'the' flanges of wheels moving on 3. A -gu'ard'j railhaiving an: integral foot guard," means" to fasten the K guard rail inposition'relativelyitoa traflie raihand' a thin position relativelyto'a traflierail, and a thin replaceable wear strip dove-tailed I and a 'basejof the trafii rail. guard means"to' fasten "the guard rail in.

zplur-ality {of spaced: base plate adapted to extend under a trafiic rail, arch shaped webs integral with said plates, vertical and horizontal webs integral with the arch webs and forming respectively a guard rail and a foot guard, the guardrail having its inner face inclnied away from the traflic rail and curved with its convex face-toward the traflic rail,

and. a replaceable wear plate covering the intermediate convex surface of the guard rail, substantially as described.

6. Ina device of the' character describedya middle base plateadapted to project under the traffic rail, clamp meanson said plate adapted to engagethe traflic rail, a vertical integral web. rising from. the:end of said plate opposite the clainp :means and comprising ,facesadapted to forlnja guard rail and a foot guard, said guard rail and foot guard being curved down at their outer ends, and end' base plates integral with said ends of the guard rail and foot guard, substantially as described.

7. In combination, a traffic rail, a tie, a

\ curved guard rail disposedwith its convex face toward the'traffie'rail and adaptedat its center only to engage the base of the latter, a central base plate integral with the guardrail and adapted to project under the traffie rail and between it anda tie, adjustable wedgemeans mounted on said base a plate and adapted to clamp the trafiic rail against the guardrail, means to secure the.

wedge means in adjusted p'osition,and means i to brace the guard-rail.

8. In. combination, cross ties, a trafiie rail,

an integral guardrail structure comprising th'e'webfand curved with its convex face toward'th'e traffic rail,.an arched supporting web for-said .foot guard and guard-rail whichis eurved,vertically and horizontally, raihhaving an integral base p1'ate,:meansf to clamp said plate; to" a traflic rail resting thereon, and a thinreplaceablef wearplatemountedin the face of the guard an intermediate and end base plates integral with the ends of'thefarchesof said arched web and spacedto re st on the ties and project under the traflic'iail, and clamp means on th'e intermediate of said base plates to a jfasten tl1e-traflic"-rail'and guard rail toadaptedtosupportjthereona trafiic rail, and a thin-'"replaceable'wear stripxcovering thegether, substantially as described.

9.In' combination with a guard rail and traflic rail, "a base-plate connectedto the e I J 1 n guard rail and pro ect1ng ,under the illilf fic-rail, a cross tie supportingqsaid plate,

an 'undercutsho'uldei" on said base plate beyond-thetraffic rail, and a wedge key adapted to be driven'under said shoulder and between it and the traiiie rail, said key having a lug adapted to engage over the 10. In combination witlra guard rail and traffic rail, a base plate-connected to the fic rail, a cross tie supporting said plate, an undercut shoulder on said base plate beyond the traffic rail, and a Wedge key adapted to be driven under said shoulder andbetween it and the traffic rail, said key having lugs adapted to engage over and under the base of the traffic rail.

11. In combination with a guard rail and traffic rail, a base plate connected to the guard rail and projecting under the traffic rail, an undercut shoulder on said base plate beyond the traffic rail, and a wedge key adapted to be driven under said shoulder and between it and the traffic rail, said key having lugs adapted to engage over and under the base of the traffic rail, the overhanging lug standing over the base plate while the underhanging lug stands clear of the base plate.

12. In combination with a guard rail and traffic rail, a base plate connected to the guard rail and projecting under the traffic rail, a cross tie supporting said plate, an undercut shoulder on said base plate beyond the traffic rail, a wedge key adapted to be driven under said shoulder and between it and the traffic rail, said key having lugs adapted to engage over and under the base of the traffic rail, the overhanging lug standing over the base plate and tie while the underhanging lug stands clear of the base plate and tie, there being a slot in the base plate and a notch in the key opposite the overhanging lug, and a spike adapted to be driven through the notch and slot to secure the traffic rail, wedge key and base plate to the tie.

13; In combination with a guard rail, a base plate connected thereto and adapted to project under the traffic rail, spaced undercut shoulders on the base plate, a wedge key adapted to be interposed between said shoulders and the base of the traffic rail, there being a slot in said base plate be tween said shoulders and there being a spike notch on the wedge adapted to travel in register with said slot, said wedge key being provided with an intermediate raised lug adapted to overhang the traffic rail base Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the and having near its large end a depressed lug adapted to engage under the base of the traflic rail, substantially as described.

14. In combination with a guard rail, a base plate connected thereto, a traffic rail, a cross tie, the base plate being adapted to be interposed between the tie and traffic rail and adapted to project beyond the latter, spaced undercut shoulders on said base with their inner walls disposed in a plane i11- clined to the traffic rail, there being an i11- clined slot in the base plate between said shoulders, and a wedge key adapted to fit under said shoulders and between them and the traffic rail, said key being substantially longer than the width of the cross tie and having near its larger end a lug adapted to engage under the traffic rail and having at an intermediate point a raised lug adapted to overlie the base of the traffic rail, there being a spike notch in the key adapted to travel over said slot in the base plate.

15. The combination with a traffic rail, a tie, a guard rail and a base plate, of wedge means to clamp the guard rail to the traffic rail comprising a wedge key adapted to engage the traffic rail base and having a lug adapted to engage the top of said rail base above the cross tie, and a lug adapted to engage the bottom of the rail base clear of the tie, and an overhanging abutment for the wedge key on said base plate.

16. The combination with a traffic rail, a tie, a guard rail and a base plate, of wedge means to clamp the guard rail to the traffic rail comprising a wedge key adapted to engage the traffic rail base and having a lug adapted to engage the top of said rail base above the cross tie and a lug adapted to engage the bottom of the rail base clear of the tie, an overhanging abutment for the wedge key on said base plate, and means to spike the key in its adjusted position to the cross tie.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT S. BOI-IANNAN. Witness:

N OMIE WELSH.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

